Most compact + deployable LED lights

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dylansmith

Well-known member
Just getting started with video production.

I like the look and feel produced by the Kinoflo Diva Lite 401 with diffuser, but I absolutely hate how much time is required to set this giant up.

Is there a LED equivalent that is:

1. Compact
2. Suited for Run and Gun (i.e. hand-holdable at off-angle)
3. Foldable (I am dreaming, but prove me wrong!)
4. Deployable in the fastest time possible
5. High CRI and same look and feel as the KinoFlo
6. Reasonable price, say <$300

Any luck?
 
Reasonable price, say <$300

That's not really reasonable. This is cheap. Don't expect much for that price. A foldable Kino Flo?
Go to Amazon and find some cheap LED fixtures but don't expect quality. They are basically disposable.

Caleb Pike did a post on cheap LED lights that he tested.

http://dslrvideoshooter.com/10-video-led-lights-50-100/

He likes Yongnuo brand a lot.

A word about video production.
Get used to setting stuff up. If you get lazy your work will show it. It's not easy to do it right and you have to in order to capture quality video otherwise it will look like home video and if you are intending to make money you need to step up and get used to using the tools of the craft. Lighting is what sets the amateurs apart from the pros. Using diffusion and modifiers is a must unless you like high contrast. want a back light or hair light? Stands with arms and a sand bags are needed. You can't cut corners on safety either. Get over the hassle part and you will make a better product.
 
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If it's cheap your after I really liked Diva-type copies with 4x55w tubes. Great light and fast to setup. Plenty of them on ebay with Osram tubes of good quality.
 
Kino actually makes what are LED versions of the Diva, now. And I wouldn't buy a fluorescent fixture now if you gave me double the money for it. I have a set of Diva 400's and Barfly 200's sitting in storage and I plan on never using them again, if I can help it. As my friend says, "The only reason to use Kino's(flourecsents) is if you don't care about skin tones".

Quality LED's or tungsten.
 
Tried to sell my Divas to my Gaffer, but instead he tried to sell his Diva to me.

Hoping Quasar comes out with LED tubes for Divas, but the chances seem a bit slim.
 
Maybe in y'all's worlds. I still see 'em all the time. For most folks here, LEDs seem to be the last resort or for quick setups/moving around. Unless we're counting some of the new, fancy, really expensive stuff as "LED".
 
I probably should've said "RIP non-LED kino flo purchases".

Current owners will continue to use them for a long time, plus cheap second hand deals also extend their lifespan. But I doubt fixtures like the Divas are being bought new in 2017, just a guess though.
 
Erik Naso said:
I use my Divas still and they work just fine.
Click to expand...

If by work, you mean they turn ON, then yes, mine still work, too. But they do not look as good* as tungsten or (QUALITY) LED's, so they got kicked to the curb.

*I'm referring to skin tones.
 
What level/price point of LED are you talking? Which bulbs are you comparing to in the Kinos? I have seen the trend for quite a few years that people lamp their kinos with half even full day light even when actual daylight is not a factor, because the daylight bulbs are supposed to be friendlier to skin.
 
Oh, I know this one!!


Foldable, high output, portable, lightweight, high CR, bi-color LED that can be had for $380 with a shell type case, AC adapter, and choice of v-mount or Sony u-mount for battery powering:

The Kamerar Brightcast-

https://kamerar.com/collections/brightcast

I just bought one myself.

Click "make an offer" and offer them $380. Boom, done. It will likely be at your door in 2 days, immaculately packaged so as to avoid shipping damage.

one caveat- for U.S. customers only.

81xH2LUlvvL._SY355_.jpg


The Apurture's aren't nearly as portable. You could easily fit 5 of these things in a standard backpack.


As to Kino Lights, the Divas were not great light quality. The standard Kino Flo's with the separate ballasts and the original style bulbs, those rock. And just about every modern movie you have ever seen uses those. It is Kino's attempt at an ENG style flo that wasn't very good. The "film set" Kinos are great. Better quality of light than even the high end LEDs.
 
JPNola said:
Oh, I know this one!!


Foldable, high output, portable, lightweight, high CR, bi-color LED that can be had for $380 with a shell type case, AC adapter, and choice of v-mount or Sony u-mount for battery powering:

The Kamerar Brightcast-

https://kamerar.com/collections/brightcast

I just bought one myself.

Click "make an offer" and offer them $380. Boom, done. It will likely be at your door in 2 days, immaculately packaged so as to avoid shipping damage.

one caveat- for U.S. customers only.

View attachment 122411


The Apurture's aren't nearly as portable. You could easily fit 5 of these things in a standard backpack.


As to Kino Lights, the Divas were not great light quality. The standard Kino Flo's with the separate ballasts and the original style bulbs, those rock. And just about every modern movie you have ever seen uses those. It is Kino's attempt at an ENG style flo that wasn't very good. The "film set" Kinos are great. Better quality of light than even the high end LEDs.
Click to expand...

By "film set kinos" do you mean the parabeam/vistabeams? If not, how often are those used on larger sets?
 
rob norton said:
By "film set kinos" do you mean the parabeam/vistabeams? If not, how often are those used on larger sets?
Click to expand...

I mean the kino flo lights like these:

View attachment 122426


as opposed to the Kino Flo "Diva" lights:

View attachment 122425


The light from the Diva's is more harsh and more "punchy". The tungsten bulbs for the Diva's also tended to have a magenta cast.

I never cared for the light quality of the Parabeam. I think it uses bulbs similar to those of the Diva's. I found it to also be a harsh source.


Loosely speaking, LED lights are coming into the biz not for quality of light but for other reasons such as low power draw, bi-color adjustability, light weight, long-life, convenience, etc.

The manufacturers struggle to make LED's into a light with a nice quality, with a quality as nice as that of existing lighting technology. I am not aware of any LED light that anyone would characterize as having a "better" quality of light than that of lighting units that already existed.
 
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Vistabeams are huge and nothing for the one mean badass shooter.

As for flexible LED-panels I've manage to squeeze in my FS7 kit plus two BiFlex50 into a Lowepro Computrekker Plus. And that isn't a large backpack.
 
Yes, the Diva 3200 tubes are very Magenta(The actual Kino tubes, not knock-offs). They have changed something over the years. My original set when I bought my Kino's years ago, looked good. When it came time to replace them, the new ones looked like @$$. And I've heard others say the same. I believe I remember Charles saying the same thing in a discussion, that he was experiencing the same thing- the tubes being very magenta. It used to be just when they were aging and it was time to replace them, but my replacements were like that from day one until I pulled them out of service(and they had plenty of hours to be "run-in").

As I said, tungsten is my first choice when I can control everything inside(i.e: not shooting out a window, working with ambient flo's/daylight, etc.). That is the benchmark. Everything is measured against tungsten and the Sun. How do the lights make skin tones look? That's what you should be worried about. That being said, I have been very happy with my Astra's. They put my Diva's to shame in quality of light and output. I also can't wait to get my hands on my two Hive 100C's and see how they fare. They shipped the first 30 backers their units out already, so hoping to have mine in my hands before the end of the month. I jumped on-board before the kickstarter campaign launched, so I'm still not sure how I ended up being 150+ deep in line...
 
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